Recipient of the 2021-2022 Dartmouth Alumni Award

As a standout student growing up in Queens, New York, you dreamed of attending college in California and becoming an actress. You certainly weren’t eager to follow your brother Anthony ’81 to Dartmouth. But since you were starting college early, at just 16, your mother wanted you where he could keep an eye on you. You report that she faked a heart attack at the idea that you might attend Northwestern, you gave in, and the rest is history. We think your mother was onto something since that started your lifelong love affair with Dartmouth. 

Despite your initial misgivings, you made the most of your Dartmouth experience. A religion major, you pursued your passion for theater and dance as a member of the Dartmouth Players and the Black Undergrad Theatre & Arts Association, which you eventually directed. Your friends knew that you could usually be found either in the Top of the Hop or in a rehearsal room. As a member of the Green Key Society and Collis Center Governing Board, you shared your infectious energy with the whole community. In fact, you tried your hand at just about every activity on campus, including cheerleading and The Dartmouth, and you were a member of Casque and Gauntlet. You also took advantage of the D-Plan by studying abroad in Grenada, Spain, a trip that marked your very first time on an airplane. 

While you joke that you spent more time socializing than studying at Dartmouth, your academic talent is clear. A true polymath, you’ve now earned five degrees, including a JD, a Master of Divinity, and a PhD in Anthropology. Your career has been just as diverse, including stints in banking, as a sports attorney, in academia, and now as an administrative law judge in New York City.

Through every change, though, Dartmouth has been there. Your service to the College started right after graduation when you began raising money for the Dartmouth College Fund. You’ve always been devoted to your beloved Class of ’82, and your classmates know to expect your call if they haven’t registered for Reunion. You’re a force of nature when it comes to bringing alumni together, and you’ve served your class as both its Vice President and its Alumni Council representative. As a committed member of the Black Alumni of Dartmouth Association, you’ve also represented that organization on the Alumni Council.

In your service for both BADA and your class, you came to embody the heart and soul of the Alumni Council, taking on leadership roles on numerous committees. In 2018, you became the first Black woman President of the Council. That was the first year that Harvard, Yale, Princeton, and Dartmouth all had female presidents of their alumni organizations, and to this day, you remain in touch with that powerful group of women. Your service fell during the height of the Call to Lead campaign, and you gladly went on the road for Dartmouth, bringing the Big Green spirit around the globe. One particular moment of pride came when, in Helsinki, Finland, you met with former Prime Minster Pavvo Lipponen, who studied at Dartmouth as a Fulbright Scholar. Your trip to Accra, Ghana, where you met with alumni of Dartmouth’s Young African Leadership Institute, was another highlight. 

You note that your experiences with Dartmouth have not always been easy; as a student and an alumna, you’ve dealt with discrimination and racism. But you are committed to what you describe as “the audacious idea that we are one Dartmouth,” and that belief is woven through everything you do. 

Tee, we salute your unwavering belief in and service to the College and all of its alumni. In recognition, we are proud to present you with the Dartmouth Alumni Award.